


Our Distance is of a Whisker

by moonstelid



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Hopeless Romantic, Love at First Sight, Mutual Pining, Supernatural - Freeform, Yokai AU, bakeneko maya, but i wont spoil uwu, first fic ever, indirect haguako, indirect yukilisa, kaomaya is the main focus okay, other girls are also yokais, slight angst warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25619092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstelid/pseuds/moonstelid
Summary: Maya Yamato is a bakeneko who was posing as a stray black cat, and was loved by all the folks who frequented downtown. She had a good life.One day, she meets a girl with red eyes, and her crying pulls on her heartstrings. She reminded her of how lonely she truly was.Now, she is a bakeneko posing as a human girl, hoping she can be with that girl forever.
Relationships: Seta Kaoru/Yamato Maya
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue: A Cat's Wish

[ Would you change your life so you can be someone or something else? Even a better you? ]

"Yamato-tan!!" A bright voice rang, echoing through the walls of an alley.

A sleeping black cat's eyes opened as it woke up, the deep green of its eyes staring into a couple of curious girls' eyes. The feline had been sleeping on a stack of wooden crates again, and it happened to be found by the friendly downtown girls. It stretched and perked up its ears, meowing at the name.

"Uwah, you were right, Hagumi!! There really is a black kitty around these parts!!" the other girl exclaimed, reaching up to pet the cat. The little black feline didn't seem to back off, but instead leaned in to enjoy the ear scritches. The bright orange-haired girl giggled happily, petting the cat's back. 

"Yamato-tan has been around downtown for almost six months now, I'm surprised you never saw it!" she said, making the other girl let out a soft, shy sigh. The cat purred loudly, and for a split second the girls swore they saw it smile. It shook its head and stared at the girl with the rather flashy clothes and swished its tail curiously. 

"I have heard about Yamato-tan, the black cat that lives downtown, but it always seemed like it was just a myth..." the girl said, making the other one gasp loudly.

"Ako-chin! It's a ghost cat that only shows itself to people it's interested in!! Or at least that's what I heard from some of the older people. They say that this particular black cat brings luck or support to whoever that catches its interest!!" she said, making the cat mewl. The other girl squealed in delight. 

"Maybe it is a sign for the totally cool demon princess of darkness-- and something-- Ako-chan!" she seemed to stumble over her words, but still striked a post. The cat placed its paw over its mouth and let out a soft trill, it almost seemed like an amused chuckle. Both girls stared in awe, then at each other, and then took off running.

"We need to tell my big sis and the other downtown girls about this!!" one exclaimed.

"Yamato-tan laughed, I saw it!! We did!! Ghost kitty!!" the other one followed, and their voices got lost in the distance.

After a quick glance to each side, making sure this was still in fact an empty street, the cat leapt off the stack of crates and into the alley, and sighed softly to itself.

"Geez, I hope they don't make a ruckus about me...." it whispered, and started to walk deeper inside the alley. As it walked, the walls seemed to twist and bend, and the cat's real appearance came to view. Its tail split into two, and two little green flames ignited on the tips. As flames wrapped around its neck, a collar with a mysterious orb formed, it's faint glimmer illuminating the dark alley. 

The black cat was no mere stray cat, but a bakeneko concealing its form to the human eye. 

"Hopefully the adult humans take it as a joke from them, I don't wanna be exorcized... Well, since I'm done with my nap, I'll go to the busier side of downtown." it said, and if it was almost on cue, the walls of the corridor stopped twisting, and the loud chatter of people soon reached the feline's ears. Concealing its true appearance again, it stepped out of the alley and into the busy downtown street. As it strolled, many people greeted it on its way. Children, elderly folks, and even a few stray cats.

"Looks like Yamato-tan decided to show itself today!" A pretty brunette said, smiling at the cat. The gray-haired girl that walked beside her simply stared in amazement, her golden eyes following the cat's graceful stroll. The little fluffball, feeling a little odd about the intense staring, simply took off running, eventually reaching its destination; the music store it loved to frequent, full of complex-looking artifacts that humans used to make music. 

There was one in particular that the cat loved the most, and that was what the humans called a "drumset". Everytime it visited the placed, there was always someone playing it, and the rhythmical beating always seemed to put the feline in a trance. Sometimes, when no one was watching, the cat tried to imitate the movements of whoever was playing before. Still, as much as it wanted to actually play, there wasn't much it could do with its small body and lack of thumbs, right? But just as the cat walked inside the building, an odd sound made its ears perk up and turn around.

Sitting on a bench was a tall girl with purple hair, her crimson eyes full of tears as they scanned a white booklet with unease. Tears flowed down, followed by quiet sobs that only sensitive cat ears could catch among the bustle and hustle of the busy street. Something in that girl's face made the cat halt on its movements, and then take off on an alarmed sprint. Something drew it to the crying girl, powerful and sudden. The cat's normally meek nature faded away and was replaced with genuine concern that even the feline itself was surprised. As it got closer, its sprint turned into a slow, wary stroll. The girl seemed to be lost in thoughts, or maybe it was just her gaze that was lost in the booklet and the tears running down. The cat sniffed her shoes cautiously, and then mewled loudly, snapping the girl out of her daze. The girl's distraught side glances compelled the feline to meow a bit louder, making the girl look down and her expression shift into one of surprise.

"O-Oh, a black cat...?" She whispered, her voice sounding soft and meek. "W-Wait, your name is Yamato-tan, yes?"

The cat mewled again, making the girl chuckle softly and dry her tears. She then reached out to pick up the kitty, eliciting a soft purr from it. She placed it on her lap and began petting its soft, black fur; the cat managing to hear a soft sigh of relief escape the girl's lips. As it curled up on her lap, her nose caught the faintest scent; roses, lavender and old books. The scent was welcoming and comforting... The cat felt safe on this stranger's lap.

"You're every bit of the rumors, Yamato-tan. You do appear when people need you. You.. You saw me crying, didn't you?" she asked, cooing softly. The cat simply purred louder in response, but was quickly shut by the girl's sudden crying again. It looked up and saw how despair and sadness painted the girl's red eyes with a darker, gray tint. 

"I-I'm sorry, but... I-It's been a while I got any reassurance at all... I-I'm so lame, huh?" she whispered, her voice sounding shaky and broken. The cat gave her a long, worried stare; it rubbed its face on the girl's hand.

["No, you are not lame... I don't know why you are crying, but you are not lame at all, girl..."] it said in its mind, and for a moment wished that it wasn't a cat, but a human. Anything to actually comfort this crying girl that somehow the normally carefree cat felt drawn to. Destiny? Magic? ...The work of a deity? Or maybe it was just its empathic, kind self speaking? 

"Hey, kitty... If you could... Would you change your life so you can be someone or something else? Even a better you?" the girl asked, her gaze lost in the distance. The cat looked at its paws, pondering on the odd question. It looked at its surroundings, and the view beyond it was something it never cared about; people. People walking around, chattering with one another. Interacting among themselves, laughing, crying and even getting mad at each other. People hugging each other, people holding hands, people playing and running around. Friends. Family. Love. Something the bakeneko lost a long time ago. 

For the first time in god knows how many years, the cat found itself despising its current body, and feeling envious of the humans who formed bonds with one another. The little black cat was pulled from its thoughts at the sad chuckle that came out of the girl's lips. She set the cat aside and stood up, then offered it a sad yet content smile.

"Thank you for listening to me, Yamato-tan. The truth is... I want to change myself. I am tired of being lonely and wimpy; I want to be brave and strong. I... I long to be a knight like in the books I love to read! I lost my father, and my best friend too… And that's why... I'm going to try joining the theater club at school. Our existence is too fleeting to be wallowing about ourselves, right?" she said, patting the cat's head gently. The cat mewled in response, giving her a hopeful look. It seemed to the cat that the girl had a dream, a dream to change for the better, to become a better version of herself. Letting the cat's head go, the girl waved at it and began walking away.

"Thank you, little kitten. I really needed a friend to listen to me right now. And... That minty scent of yours is truly relaxing. Maybe this is why people find comfort in you? Anyways... Hopefully I'll see you again, okay?" 

And with that the girl got lost in the sea of humans, her particular scent staying with the bakeneko. The feline caught a glimpse of the girl tying her hair up in a ponytail, but that was all. Time seemed to freeze, as the cat pondered once again. Those final words from the girl... Struck a nerve inside it. When was the last time it truly wanted something? Just how long has it been when it got used to being the stray cat everyone knew? Since when being just a yōkai bothered it so, so much? Why did it feel like it needed to see that girl again?

The sudden realization hit the cat like a thousand pebbles being thrown at it. The bite of love at first sight; and with a mere human, to boot! But… To the cat, the girl was no mere human. There was something about her, and she wanted to be with her to know what it was. It was decided.

Time came back to its normal pace, and the cat took off running among the ocean of people, and into the woods nearby. 

"I don't know you. You are a human among a billion more."

The cat's form started to unravel, its tails splitting once again. But this time, there was something different. It was running on two legs.

"Your fleeting existence is so far away from mine. I have been alive for so long, I have seen seasons change over and over."

Flames engulfed the cat's body, as if its fur was doused in gasoline. The fire-covered body began to grow in size. Soon, the cat's fur, paws and whiskers were gone.

"And yet… My heart is beating so fast. It's telling me to chase you. I'll meet you again. I… I have to meet you again! Just you wait, we won't be lonely anymore!"

…

Deep inside the woods, in a massive cave on a mountain, there was an old shrine surrounded by a lake; a shrine of the ancient dragon Seiryu. A silhouette stood in front of the lake, and tapped the water's surface. From the depths of the lake, a large, white dragon emerged, its icy blue eyes fixed onto the figure that stood in front of it. The large beast offered its visitor a kind yet serious smile.

"Ah, so you return, little bakeneko? But… It looks like you made up your mind. Are you ready to make your wish come true?"

In front of the dragon stood a human girl, with short brown hair and mellow green eyes. Determination and hope painted a warm smile on her face; the tails down her spine and the ears on her head twitched before disappearing.

"I'm ready now, Eve. Please… Teach me how to become a proper human!" she cried out, her voice echoing into the cave behind them. In a flash of blinding light, and with the rippling of massive waves in the lake, the dragon was replaced with a tall girl with white hair. She smiled warmly at the girl in front of her, and offered her a wooden box.

"Very well, Maya. I, descendant of the ancient dragon himself, will make your wish come true!"

….

….

The first cherry blossom petals that fell indicated that a new Spring was here. Seasons sure fly by quickly, huh?

"Kaoru-senpai, did you hear there is a new girl in class B?" 

Kaoru glanced at her kouhai, letting out a soft 'huh?' of interest. She was reading a book when a couple of her kouhais and admirers sat next to her, making her set the book aside and talk to them for a bit. Her lips curled into a soft smile as she placed her hand underneath her chin. 

"Is that so? Ah, how fleeting…" She said, making the girls next to her squeal and blush. Among the amused giggles of the girls, she heard one of them gasp and say:

"There she is! That's the new girl!" she said, making the other girls and Kaoru herself turn around. 

Walking down the hall, like a meek little animal, was a girl with brown hair, green eyes and glasses. She held onto her bag and looked around nervously; she probably was lost. Around her, the silent whispers amongst the girls reached Kaoru's ears.

"Isn't that the studio musician girl who became an idol a little while ago?"

"Yeah! I think she's in the group who got busted for lip-syncing and redeemed themselves!" 

"Oh! You mean Pastel*Palettes?"

"Man, I want to see if she can get me Chisato Shirasagi's autograph!"

"I want to get her autograph as well!" 

The voices soon dulled out, as Kaoru could only focus on the girl in front of her. She felt her cheeks flush slightly, there was something familiar about this girl, and yet… She was so mysterious. But man, she was beautiful. When their gazes met, it was almost as if time froze and they were the only girls on school; kind of what happens in those shoujo mangas Kaoru liked to read from time to time. She got quickly got up, making the girls protest a little.

"S-Sorry, little kittens, but I gotta help her! A-Anyways, adieu!" 

And with that Kaoru took off, slowly approaching the girl. She seemed to quickly notice her getting closer, and Kaoru got surprised to see her smiling warmly; as if she knew her already. She shook that thought and adopted her princely persona, this girl needed her after all!

"Hello, little kitten~" she said in a mature, confident voice. "I heard you are new here. Are you perhaps lost and in need of an escort?" 

The girl blushed a bit and laughed; her laugh was so unique and cute that it knocked Kaoru's persona off in a blink of an eye. The red-eyed girl blushed as well, smiling sheepishly. Maybe she overdid it?

"Y-Yeah… I'm a bit lost, huhehe-" the girl said, scratching her cheek with her finger in shame. Kaoru's heart was beating so fast, and for a second she felt something odd about this girl. It was almost as if she was an apparition, or some sort of magical being. Are angels real?

"A-Ah, do not fret, gorgeous. I am here to aid you! Now, where are you headed to?" Kaoru asked.

"Um… To the theater club." The girl meekly replied, making Kaoru's eyes glimmer with joy.

"Then you are talking to the right person! Follow me, princess, the lead actress of the theater club will guide you~!" she said, and beamed a confident yet kinda exaggerated smile. She shook her head and lifted her hand, getting ahold of the girl's.

"My oh my, where are my manners? My name is Kaoru Seta, it's a pleasure to meet you, little kitten…~" she said with a charming wink, and leaned down to kiss the girl's hand. This made them both blush bright red, but quickly laughed it out like a pair of old friends. Kaoru swore the faintest breeze of mint filled her nose, was it coming from the girl? Maybe it was perfume, but why was it so familiar?

"Nice to meet you, Kaoru-san! I'm Maya Yamato. I hope we get along!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi yes!!!! This is my first fic ever, my apologies for my rusty narrative (english is not my first language LET'S GO---), i did my very best pwp
> 
> I had this AU on the back of my mind since I began playing Bandori and seeing how criminally few KaoMaya fics are out there I decides to finally write this fic!!! This fic is based on the songs A Small Lion (Honeyworks) and Walking on the Center of the World (Natsuhiko Takaaki ft. Hatsune Miku) 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and will see you all in the next chapter -w-)!


	2. Chapter 1: A Cat's Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Paw-sitively, things have changed for the best!  
> What a purr-fect world to be in today!  
> As my regular self, I'm fur-getable, right?  
> Who needs pointy ears and a tail anyways?
> 
> Onwards, here I come!  
> The alley cat is no more!  
> I will rush, I will run!  
> Until I find you again!
> 
> Without my whiskers in sight  
> Or any traces of fear  
> My love for you has given me a new form!  
> And when I get to meet you, my dear  
> I'll say "good morning!" with a smile!]
> 
> —The Lovestruck Kitty won't be Discouraged!, Faye-P ft Gumi

[ We are your family now! So you don't have to cry anymore, okay? ]

"It's been a year already, and you haven't even TRIED to confess to her?"

Maya simply whined in response; a clear sign of guilt and overall annoyance with herself. She was chilling at the lake shrine with Eve, who had turned into her best friend, therapist, love advisor AND human-related stuff mentor. The dragon sighed loudly at the girl on the tree next to her. She knew the bakeneko had a really long day by just the fact that she wanted to climb a tree and get inside a hole and just "stay inside the tight, dark safety of a hole for the rest of eternity". Sometimes Eve got deeply concerned because she never knew if Maya was being dramatic or she actually felt the world was falling onto her. 

"Maya-chan, we have talked about this. You will never know she likes you if you don't even show you are interested to begin with!" Eve said, staring at the girl inside the tree that soon became just a pair of black perky ears. 

"Cut me some slack, Eve-san! I already told you, what if my emotions overwhelm me and my ears slip out?! There is no way in HELL Kaoru Seta herself would be interested in being with… A dumb cat like myself." Maya's voice echoed from the hole, followed by a quiet mewl of distress.

"It's not that bad, Maya-chan! You have shown to control your shapeshifting quite well!" The dragon tried to reassure, gaining a pair of piercing, tired, glaring green eyes. The little black cat hopped out of the hole and stared at the dragon.

"Have you forgotten how the rest of PasuPare found out we are not human?"

\-----------------

_It had been yet another long day of rehearsal for the idol band, so they decided to rest for a while. The girls were chatting amongst themselves, until the studio door opened and prompted them to turn around. Peeking into the room was Chisato; she almost missed rehearsal yet again. Perks of being an actress, Maya supposed._

_"Sorry I'm so late, my schedule got all messed up and it was utter chaos." Chisato said as she waved at her friends and bandmates._

_"Ah, don't worry, Chisato-chan! You seem to be super busy this week!" Eve rang, offering her a reassuring smile._

_"Yeah! Still, you missed a totally intense training! Aya-chan cried a little at the push-ups!" Hina added, gaining a soft huff of indignation from the pink-haired girl._

_"I-I did not cry!!" she said, but all the girls present, even Chisato who hadn't been there, knew that Aya in fact did cry. Poor girl._

_"Hahaha, anyways~! Since my schedule got so messed up, I ended up having to bring someone along! Hope you don't mind!" Chisato said, and as she opened the door entirely, Maya almost let out a screech._

_It was Leon, Chisato's dog (was it even her pet? Maya wouldn't care less), who came bolting into the room playfully. The girls laughed loudly and cooed at the dog, quickly getting smothered in slobbery kisses and playful puppy tackles. Eve shot a terrified glance at Maya, who had literally frozen up in her spot._

_Maya was a CAT yōkai. It was natural she feared dogs with every fiber of her body._

_Eve knew this very well and, after getting considerably away from Maya, beckoned Leon over to keep the dog away from the poor terrified bakeneko. Chisato instantly knew something was wrong._

_"You don't like dogs, Maya-chan?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, prompting Eve to keep scratching the dog's head even more lovingly to keep it from even noticing Maya's existence. The mentioned shook her head rapidly and giggled nervously._

_"A-Ah, it's ny--not that! I-I just… H-Have really bad allergies, huhehe!!" she blatantly lied, sweating profusely. Hina and Aya stared at Maya in slight confusion, but Chisato squinted at the brunette and her odd way of replying._

_"But… You aren't sneezing? Don't you sneeze and get super red and swollen up when you have allergies?" Hina inquired, obviously not knowing how allergies worked. Was Hina also blessed with inhuman health? Maya gave Eve a pitiful look, who simply shook her head and gave her a "you dug your own grave" look._

_"T-That's because Leon isn't c-close to meo---me!! S-Still, i-it makes me super sweaty and shaky!!"_

_Apparently the gods wanted to pester the bakeneko, because thanks to all of her sweating her particular cat scent attracted the golden retriever's attention. Leon wasn't an aggressive dog by all means, on the contrary; he was very friendly to cats! So it was only natural that he leapt out of Eve's grasp and ran to greet Maya with a playful tackle. Maya let out a panicked yowl as the dog tackled her, her only hint of relief was that it was only licking her face._

_"Leon, down! Come here boy!" Chisato beckoned, making the dog perk up, rush to her side and sit down obediently. "Are you okay, Maya-chan?"_

_Maya slowly got up and groaned; her voice cracking from the near heart-attack experience. Tears of instinctive fear threatened to flow down from the corner of her eyes as she smiled shakily._

_"I-I-I'm fine, don't worry about meow---huh? W-What's with the surprised looks, meow?"_

_It was all too late when it hit Maya. The reactions were wildly varied; Eve was mortified, Aya was pointing at Maya's head with widened eyes, Hina had a big grin of excitement, and Chisato had a surprisingly calm smile on her face. Maya's ears had slipped out from the panic attack she had, and now all of her bandmates knew her secret. She immediately broke into tears —still shaken up from being startled and now this— and without having any bit of control of herself left, she poofed into her bakeneko form._

_Hoo boy, wasn't THAT a surprise._

...

_"W-Waaaaaah! I-I'm so sorryyyy!" Maya wailed, currently being curled up and pet by Hina, who insisted on holding the little cat yōkai. All of the girls surrounded Hina and Maya, and tried their best to calm the crying feline down._

_"D-Don't cry, Maya-chan! W-We are not mad!" Aya stammered, close to tears as well._

_"P-Please let me staaaaay, weeeh!" Maya wailed back, not even trying to quell down the loud yowls that escaped her tiny body._

_"Don't be silly, Maya-chan," Chisato said, still oddly calm about the entire situation, "We are not going to kick you out just because you're… A ghost cat?"_

_"Bakeneko," Hina corrected, without missing a beat. Of course she knew what Maya was; Hina seemed to know about anything and everything. Hina cooed out a "Good kitty, no tears~" in an attempt to calm Maya down, but her amused chuckle kind of killed the intention._

_After a while of loud yowls, leaving Leon in the room next door (who quickly fell asleep) and telling staff and other unwanted visits to leave them alone (who knew that Chisato was good at making up believable excuses?), Maya finally stopped crying. There was a bit of an awkward silence, that the kind-hearted yet nervous Aya attempted to break:_

_"Maya-chan… Why didn't you tell us? Did you really think we would kick you out of PasuPare?"_

_The bakeneko leapt out of Hina's lap (much to her annoyance, as she mumbled that she wanted to pet Maya more), and transformed back into her human form. Her ears were pressed against her skull and her tails were wrapped around her body; she lowered her head before explaining:_

_"You see… I was kicked out of my family for being different, too. Us bakenekos are tricksters and liars; we love taking advantage of humans and their inner desires. It's what my kind has done for generations… But I never liked it. I think… Us yōkai shouldn't take advantage of humans just because they lack magic and powers. I think we can all get along, if we just tried... But I was ultimately kicked out of my own family; they said that I shouldn't feel anything besides hatred against humans, that they are all twisted and will kill any of us on sight. T-They said… I was a failure, a mistake… And left me to die. That's why I didn't want you guys to know; the human world is all I have left to call a home, and you are all the closest thing to a real family to me..."_

_When Maya looked up, she was surprised with her bandmates' reactions. Aya was crying quietly, Chisato had a deeply pained expression on her face, and Hina was unusually serious. They didn't say a word, they just stared at her. The bakeneko glanced at Eve, who had a hand on her chest and a reassuring, apologetic smile on her face. Maya smiled back at her and wiped the tears off her face, when she suddenly felt how her friends hugged her tightly._

_"M-Maya-chan… W-We're so sorry you had to go through that…" Aya wept, easily being the one who was hugging her the tightest._

_"You are not a failure. Those.. Brutes would have never even DREAMED of achieving what you have done until now." Chisato added, her voice steel cold; like a protective mother or older sister._

_"We are your family now! So you don't have to cry anymore, okay?" Hina chimed in, beaming a reassuring smile at Maya. The bakeneko girl couldn't hold her tears of joy as she curled into the warm embrace of genuine love and caring by her friends. Eve had her arms warped around everyone, holding them together like a warm blanket. Maya was finally home; she had a family that actually loved her for who she was, and now she wouldn't have to keep her dark secret from them._

_After pulling away, everyone shared a soft, emotional chuckle. Maya's ears batted happily; her tails swished and curled onto each other._

_"Now we know why you like tight spaces so much!" Chisato said, making the chuckling grow into laughter._

_"Or why you like pushing water bottles off the coffee table with your foot!" Aya added, beaming brightly._

_"And why you really don't like getting close to dogs!" Hina ended, making Maya scratch her cheek with her finger in shame._

_"Huhehe…. Yeah, I thought Leon was going to eat me for a second, I think I forgot my body is not as small in this form!" she admitted, making Hina absolutely lose it. Her laughter was contagious, and soon the uproar of the five girls' laughter was audible from the hallway._

_"And yet, no one even suspected about you, Maya-chan! Right, girls?" Chisato asked, to which Hina and Aya nodded; Eve's laughIng was shut immediately by the question, making everyone else quiet down as well._

_"...Eve-chan?" Aya inquired, to which Eve simply stared at the floor with a nervous smile. Maya had never seen her sweat so much in her life._

_"...Did you suspect about Maya's secret at some point?" Aya asked, a bit confused. Maya's eyes widened when the realization hit her._

_It was all too late, once again._

_"O-Of course not!" Eve lied, her voice cracking. The bakeneko stretched her arm out in panic, and said her words way too late._

_"W-Wait, Eve-san! You can't lie—!"_

_Poof! As if it was on cue, Eve's real appearance was revealed; horns, scales on her arms and a long tail. The girls stared at her, dumbfounded, unable to say anything. That was not Hina's case, who quickly stood up, pointed at Eve and shouted:_

_"A dragon! And you are an ancient dragon's descendant, because you don't have a marble! Gosh, this is truly boppin!"_

_It seemed like Eve and Maya weren't done with having to explain things for that evening._

\-----------------------

"You say it like it's a bad thing!" Eve said, pouting. She nudged her large dragon snout against the black kitty, who simply huffed loudly. 

"I'm not saying it is a bad thing, but still! What if she is not as accepting as the others…?" Maya asked, staring at her paws sadly. Eve frowned and nudged her with enough force to toss her up in the air and into her snout, right between her eyes. Maya grunted and mewled loudly upon landing, a tiny pout visible on her fuzzy face.

"E-Eve-san! W-Warn me beforehand!" she whined, pawing the dragon's snout. Eve simply chuckled softly, staring at the tiny cat on her. Compared to Eve, Maya was a tiny black dot on the white dragon's face. 

"Maya… You'll never know if you never open to her. Isn't your wish getting closer to her? Well… Getting closer to her means that on day you'll have to open up to her about this. And if she doesn't accept you… She probably wasn't meant for you."

The bakeneko let out a soft trill at those words. She knew Eve was right, but… The scars that her family left were still too deep and too fresh in her mind. She didn't want to be rejected anymore. She just wanted to be loved. The dragon quickly noticed her lost face and exhaled softly, letting out a soft, reassuring coo. Maya was quickly brought back to herself, and nudged her face against Eve's forehead, closing her eyes.

"Geez… How are you good with that kinda motivational speaking? Is it dragon protocol?" She said, letting out a melancholic chuckle.

"Nope! It's part of the way of Bushido!" Eve chimed, beaming a proud, toothy grin. Maya rolled her eyes and pawed her forehead playfully.

"Off you go with your Bushido thingy, you big nerd. Still… You're right. I should give her a chance, right?" she said, gaining a nod from the dragon. The large reptile lowered her snout to the ground, allowing the kitty to hop off. Maya stared at the entrance before her, and sighed.

"Going to see Kaoru?" Eve asked, following her gaze. Maya simply nodded, to which the dragon chuckled amusedly.

"Very well, say hi to her for me, okay? Take care!" 

And with that the large dragon disappeared into the lake; probably teleporting back to her apartment. Dragon deity perks, Maya thought. She shook her head and took off running, her quiet paws dashing quickly through the forest. She was going to school to visit Kaoru for after class Theater Club practice, and was more than excited. 

Her joyful thoughts were cut short as she noticed from the corner of her eye a graceful, radiant figure darting out of the bushes and into the distance. She came to an abrupt stop, and sniffed the air warily. Her eyes opened wide as a strained mewl came out of her mouth; the unmistakable, strong scent of a kitsune. They don't smell like your average fox, but rather a mix of herbs, flowers and, in this one's case, tofu. Tricksters, like bakenekos, but much more powerful and capable of controlling fire in proportions the cat yōkai are unable to. Maya quickly hid into a bush and waited for the fox to leave, for she knew she was no match for a yōkai four times her size. She covered her eyes and prayed to not be found, and lucky for her the fox's steps got lost in the distance, along with its scent. Maya sighed out of sheer relief, and with careful side glances out of her hiding spot, took off and continued running for the school. She wasn't willing to see if the kitsune was coming back.

When she arrived to the school building, she noticed faint singing echoing through the hall. She could recognize that voice anywhere; it was Kaoru's. Maya decided to sneak a little and spy on her, it wasn't rare of her to be singing on her own. Still, she didn't want to interrupt her bliss; she knew very well that one is bound to get lost when singing alone. Climbing into a nearby air vent, the bakeneko made her way through, following her beloved girl's singing. Maya couldn't help but smile to herself once she saw Kaoru; the girl was twirling and swaying on her own, singing a beautiful love song. The cat felt a bit guilty for spying on her, but god, was it worth it. 

Kaoru's sweet, melodious voice almost felt like a warm, soft embrace, her graceful steps made her seem as if she was floating. One could even say this sight was so radiant it was bewitching. When the girl stopped singing, the cat accidentally chirped too loudly, making Kaoru look around half confused and half startled.

"Who's there?" She inquired, making Maya cover her mouth with her paws. As Kaoru paced around the room and was about to head for the door, the cat darted back from where she came and into the hall, and quickly shape-shifted into her human form. With a last check to make sure her ears and tails were hidden, she shyly peeked into the room, smiling sheepishly. Maya's heart skipped a beat when she saw a big, warm smile spreading across Kaoru's face, she was stunning.

"Ah, Maya! You sneaky little kitten, were you watching me?" she said, her voice as flirty as always. Maya couldn't help but blush; she was weak to her voice.

"Y-Yeah, sorry, Kaoru-san. I-I heard your voice through the halls, and didn't want to interrupt you…" she said, rubbing her cheek with embarrassment. Kaoru shook her head and pulled her into the room, making Maya blush even more. 

"You'll never interrupt me, Maya. If you wanted to hear me, I would've kept going for you, darling." Kaoru said, to which Maya took a mental note of. 

"Anyways, your timing is perfect as always. Wanna help me practice for the upcoming play?"

"Of course, Kaoru-san!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo!!! Thank you all for your kind words and support on the prologue!!! It really means the world to me to see how much y'all loved it pwp  
> I had fun writing this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did, and see y'all in chapter 2! uwu)/


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